Thanksgiving is a yearly event when you can showcase your accurate chef skills and only the best recipes will make it to the table but it doesn’t mean you can’t try new ways and recipes for these days.
We love thanksgiving but the truth is there are no crunchy and juicy traditional foods (besides turkey and pie), rather it’s all about mushy and soft cooking. From appetizers to the main meal, we take Thanksgiving cooking seriously, so we have to kick off with a great start. I have brought up delicious recipes that you and your family will love.
The special thing about these recipes is that they don’t require gigantic ovens and almost no preparation; rather, they are made in an air fryer appliance with all the features for a perfect meal.
The phrase “air fryer can do it all” is all true, and it does have so many advantages too like no constant attention, no extra fat and cholesterol, and absolute mouthwatering food with a crispy exterior and tendered insides.
Without further ado, let’s hop on the delectable thanksgiving food recipes.
- Air fryer tortellini: Appetizer
- Ham and cheese twist: appetizer
- Garlic and parsley baby potatoes: main meal or appetizer
- Turkey tenderloins: main meal
- Bread salad with olives: main meal
- Air-fried churros: dessert
- Air-fried mini apple pies: dessert
How Does An Air Fryer Work?
An air fryer cooks food by convection (circulating hot air) and generates a crispy outer layer due to the Maillard reaction.
Permit me to break it down for you. The air fryer is equipped with a fan and a heating coil. The heating coil heats the air as the fan blows it at high speed at the food.
Thanksgiving Air Fryer Recipes
You can prepare your Thanksgiving meal in less time than in traditional ways.
Not only that, but the air fryer is my go-to kitchen device when I need to cook something in a fraction of the time without losing taste or flavor.
Your Thanksgiving turkey does not need to be smoked, grilled, or fried to be delicious. You can either place the turkey in the air fryer or, if you have a smaller air fryer, place turkey breasts in the air fryer basket.
AIR FRYER TORTELLENI:
Ingredients:
- Olive oil
- Chopped onions
- Garlic cloves
- Tomato puree
- Salt and pepper
- Tortellini
- Eggs
- Milk
- Breadcrumbs
- Garlic powder
- Chopped parsley
- Grated cheese
Directions:
- In a saucepan, heat the oil, and add onion and garlic. Stir and cook until transparent or tendered. Add in the basil, tomato puree, salt, and pepper.
- Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer it (uncovered) for 10 minutes.
- In a small bowl, whisk milk and eggs. in another bowl, add bread crumbs, cheese, parsley, salt, and garlic powder. Mix until combined. Meanwhile at 350F, preheat the air fryer for 2-3 minutes.
- First, Toss the tortellini in an egg mixture and then coat the breadcrumb blend onto it. Arrange them in the air fryer basket (lined with parchment paper) with a bit of space between them.
- Spray with the cooking spray and let the batch cook for 4-5 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Flip them once halfway through cooking time.
Serve with: Tomato puree sauce and cheese drizzled.
AIR FRYER HAM AND CHEESE TWISTS:
Ingredients:
- Pizza dough
- Swiss cheese
- Ham
- Salt
- Pepper
Directions:
- Roll out the pizza dough on the light-floured surface.
- With the swiss cheese, cover the rolled-out dough and then add a deli ham layer to it—season with salt and black pepper.
- Take out another dough, roll it out to the same size as first, and then press on top with a bit of pressure. Cut the layered dough with a knife or pizza cutter into long strips, then twist them.
- At 370 Fahrenheit, preheat the air fryer. Set the twist into the fryer basket and spray cooking oil on them.
- Cook for 8-10 minutes, until the dough is baked through, or add 1-2 minutes until the cheese is melted. Plate it warm.
Serve with: tomato sauce, soup, or marinara sauce.
GARLIC PARSLEY BABY POTATOES:
Ingredients:
- Baby potatoes ( cut into quarters or half)
- Minced garlic
- Avocado or olive oil
- Dried parsley
- Salt
Directions:
- Preheat your air fryer to 350 Fahrenheit degrees.
- In a bowl, toss the baby potatoes and oil until they are fully covered. Add in the salt, minced garlic, and dried parsley.
- Pour the potatoes into the basket without the air fryer parchment paper.
- Lock the basket back to its place and let the potatoes cook for at least 20-25 minutes.
- Flip the food once. Plate put the potatoes if the edges are brown and crispy.
Serve with: bbq sauce, asparagus, or corn.
TURKEY TENDERLOINS IN AIR FRYER:
Ingredients:
- Turkey tenderloins
- Olive oil
- Dried parsley
- Garlic powder
- Dried rosemary
- Salt
- Ground black pepper
- Sage or basil
Directions:
- Preheat the air fryer to 375 degrees Fahrenheit setting for 3-4 minutes, meanwhile line the basket with air fryer parchment papers.
- Combine garlic powder, ground pepper, salt, dried parsley, dried rosemary, and sage (or basil).
- Coat the tenderloins with olive oil and rub the spices with your hand on the turkey meat.
- Place the tenderloins in the fryer basket and let them cook for 25-30 minutes. Flip the turkey once halfway.
- Cook the meat until the juice runs clear. Check internal temperature with the meat thermometer, if the reading is 165 degrees Fahrenheit then it is ready to plate out.
Serve with: Ranch sauce, coleslaw, or gravy.
SALAD WITH OLIVES:
Ingredients:
- Ciabatta bread (cubed)
- Vinegar
- Olive oil
- Garlic cloves (minced)
- Pepper
- Salt
- Chopped tomato
- Fresh basil (chopped)
- Olives
- Italian parsley
- Parmesan cheese
Directions:
- Preheat the air fryer to 350F degrees.
- In a big bowl add the cubed bread while in another bowl mix olive oil, minced garlic, and pepper. Drizzle a little of the mixture on the bread and toss them until covered (reserve the remaining oil mixture).
- Place the prepared bread in the basket and put it back in its space.
- Cook the bread for 8-9 minutes until they crisp up, make sure to stir them occasionally for better cooking. Take out the bread and put it on the side.
- At the same time, whisk salt and vinegar into the remaining oil mixture.
- Add chopped tomato, olives, Italian parsley, and fresh basil to the oil blend. Toss thoroughly until they are fully covered.
- In the salad bowl, combine tomato mixture and bread. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and serve it immediately.
Serve or top with: ranch sauce, mayo paprika sauce, or more cheese.
AIR-FRIED CHURROS:
Ingredients:
- All-purpose flour
- Water
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- Butter
- Sugar
- Kosher salt
FOR COATING:
- Cinnamon sugar
- Granulated sugar
Directions:
- In a saucepan melt the butter; add the salt and sugar to it. When all three are incorporated mix in the flour and then remove it from the heat.
- Bring the mixture to room temperature. Add the eggs and vanilla extract to the flour mix. Combine the mixture with your hands.
- In the piping bag add the mixture and then carefully pipe 2-3 inches of churros on the paper. Refrigerate it for at least 30-45 minutes.
- After chilling, place the piped churros with parchment paper onto the basket. Spray with cooking oil and then air fryer for 4-5 minutes.
- After 5 minutes, flip the churros and spray them again. For additional 4-5 minutes cook the other side.
- Meanwhile, mix sugar and cinnamon on a sheet.
- Once the churros are ready, coat them with the cinnamon mixture and serve.
Serve with: Nutella
AIRFRYER MINI APPLE PIE:
Ingredients:
- Refrigerated pie crust
- Can of apple pie filling
- Beaten eggs
- Cinnamon sugar
- Cooking spray
Directions:
- Roll out the pie dough with a rolling pin onto a lightly floured surface then cut out the circles with a cookie cutter.
- Fill the pie dough with an apple filling then place the second pie crust on top, making a mini pie. Crimp the edges with a fork to seal in the filling.
- Preheat the air fryer to 360 degrees Fahrenheit. Meanwhile, brush the upper pie crust with a beaten egg then sprinkle some cinnamon and sugar.
- Spray the mini pies with cooking spray and place them into the fryer basket leaving some space for better cooking.
- Cook for 5-7 minutes and flip it one time until both sides are golden brown.
Serve with: half and half or heavy whipping cream.
NUTRITIONAL VALUE IN EACH RECIPE:
Choosing a scrumptious menu for Thanksgiving while making sure it’s healthy for everyone is a difficult task, but what if I told you that all these recipes have good amounts of carbs and calories?
This might sound tricky, but once you see it with your own eyes, you’ll believe me. So, look for yourself in the nutritional table below:
| Air fryer tortellini | 249 calories |
| Ham and cheese twist | 231 cal |
| Garlic and parsley baby potatoes | 220 cal |
| Turkey tenderloins | 125 cal |
| Bread salad with olives | 130 cal |
| Air-fried churros | 100 cal |
| Air-fried mini apple pies | 410 cal |
Each of these recipe ingredients holds valuable nutrition for your body. Now, if you dig deeper into these facts, you’ll be surprised at how much each of them is packed with essential vitamins like calcium, sodium, vitamins A, B, and C, and even potassium.
Having these dishes will be a source of nourishment for you and your loved ones. The truth is, if you or your family members are healthy lifestyle enthusiasts, then they can surely count on these recipes for craving satisfaction.
SUMMARY:
- If you’ve got bored with the typical thanksgiving meals, these recipes are a turn for sure.
- The recipes are simple, with minimal ingredients, no extra care, no overnight preparations, and definitely delicious.
- Everyone will fall in love with the recipes here that they might ask you to make it as a next year’s meal.
- You don’t need an oven or grill, just an air fryer can do everything just like both but with more crisp up and juicy texture.
- Making these thanksgiving recipes in an air fryer will give you more health benefits as it won’t use tons of oil to make them delectable and eatable with low fat or cholesterol.